Just Enough

So recently my pastor (Pastor Rick from The Refuge) posed the question .... "What is wrong with God giving us just enough? Just enough money to make the bills, just enough gas to get where we need to go, just enough food for our next meal, JUST ENOUGH, not huge amounts, not great abundances at one time, but enough to live, to breathe, to be taken care of ... JUST ENOUGH.

As Americans, living in such a wealthy country we have become accustomed to having more than we need at one time - extra money in the bank, leftovers in the fridge, extravagant dinners out, extra unused bedrooms in our home, we often spend money on unnecessary items and buy more than we need and even more than we are likely to use. We purchase hundreds of dvd's which we will only watch once or twice, toys that our children are likely to only look at one or two times, and cook enough to feed an army.

So I ask what is wrong with having "just enough"? The most memorable lesson of God's daily provision I can think of is found in Exodus 16 where we find the Israelites who were wondering in the desert and God gave them just enough manna for each day. Each new morning they were to go out and collect just enough for their household for that day only and if they got stingy and tried to horde it the manna spoiled and they found maggots in it. The only exception was on the day before the Sabbath, they were to collect enough for both days so they could rest on the Lord's day. Isn't that just like God to teach us a lesson about how to rely on him. I have to say that in the last couple of years God has been working overtime trying to teach me this lesson and only in the last few weeks do I think I am really "getting it". The answer to all my problems has seemed to me to be the blessing of an abundance of money so I could buy a larger house,a more reliable car, great things for my kids, new clothes etc... but the truth of the matter is He has given us "enough"! Our tummies are full when we go to bed every night and most of the time I don't have to worry with leftovers in the fridge, the bills get paid and there is enough gas in the car to get us where we need to go. We have enough beds for everyone to sleep comfortably and toys to help our minds to grow. We have ENOUGH! And as it was true for the Israelites I am sure there are times it appears to me that my supply is running out, like I dont know what we will eat for breakfast in the morning, or have for dinner that night. There are times when that worry creeps back in, but then the morning comes and the ground is covered, the Manna is fresh and just like the day before we have enough to gather for the day. God has over and over, on a daily basis proven himself faithful!

As Miss ZC would say .... Hallelulal! God is sooo very good! HE is ENOUGH!